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John DeRoss
John J. DeRoss (July 17, 1937 New Jersey State Gambling Exclusion List: John J. DeRoss), also known as "Jackie" or "Jackie Zambooka", is the former Underboss in the Colombo crime family. Capo and control over local 100 John DeRoss is the father of Colombo family mobsters Jack J. DeRoss and Jamie T. DeRoss.Genovese and Colombo Families Leadership Targeted in Multi-District Racketeering Prosecutions Charging Extortion of International Union of Operating Enginees, Locals 14 and 15 - Union Business Manager, Delegates and Members also Charged (February 26, 2003) He is a uncle to Carmine "Skippy" DeRoss Echoes of Mob War Reverberate 15 Years Later by Jerry Capeci (July 20, 2006) The New York SunBail's Denied For Mechanic Steered Hit Plot: Prosecutor by John Marzulli (October 20, 2004) New York Daily NewsWacky Court Day As 'Crazy Sal' Testifies by John Marzulli (February 02, 2006) New York Daily NewsJudge Evokes Lessons of Dr. Seuss for Junior Gotti by Jerry Capeci (August 10, 2006) The New York Sun and to Alphonse Persico Colombo Mobsters Charged with Extortion, Theft of Teamster Benefits Carl Horowitz (April 1, 2010) National Legal and Policy Center which would make him a brother-in-law to Carmine Persico. After the 1971 assassination attempt on Boss Joseph "Joe" Colombo, capo Carmine Persico became boss and promoted DeRoss to caporegime. Throughout the 1970s, DeRoss would develop racketeering, loansharking, money laundering, extortion and narcotics operations. In 1983, Local 100 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Union was established in New York. Soon after this, the Colombo family used its influence to elect DeRoss as Local president. DeRoss used his position for the next 15 years to extort money from legitimate businesses that dealt with the local."Major union is charged in payoffs" New York Times October 23, 1992 Toward the mid 1980s, US authorities recognized DeRoss as Acting Underboss for Carmine Persico, as many Colombo family members went on trial and were imprisoned. In October 1984, DeRoss and Carmine Persico were indicted on racketeering charges involving several restaurants and construction companies.FBI hunting 4 indicted as Colombo mob chiefs" New York Times October 28, 1984 DeRoss was convicted and sentenced to 12 years. Release and underboss Toward his release in the mid 1990s, the Colombo family entered a huge battle for the power of leadership in the family. The current acting boss Victor Orena demanded complete power over the family from Carmine Persico and the two factions went to war during the early 1990s. The Persico faction claimed victory in 1993, and with half the family on trial, DeRoss would be released in the late 1990s, just as he was arrested and prosecuted again for racketeering and loansharking charges, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. However, his former union cooperator, Chickie Amodeo, had been banned from all contact with union officials, and imprisoned again in 1994. Upon DeRoss' release, many Colombo members were imprisoned and demoted by Persico, as they chose to support Orena in his failed attempt to overthrow Persico. In 1990, DeRoss was promoted to the rank of Underboss in the Colombo crime family, and chosen as the top aide by Persico's son and then current family acting boss, Alphonse Persico, in 1999. Alphonse Persico's revenge After Alphonse Persico became acting boss in 1999, he took revenge on many Orena supporters who had opposed his father Carmine. One of these supporters was William "Wild Bill" Cutolo."Mob widow Peggy Cutolo fingers Colombo" New York Daily News November 14, 2007 Persico and DeRoss summoned Cutolo to a meeting, after which he was never seen again.Mob revenge served ice cold" New York Daily News October 26, 2006 DeRoss told Cutolo's wife that her husband might have left for Italy. Later in 1999, DeRoss and Persico ordered the murder of Joseph "Joe Campy" Campanella, a Cutolo crew member. Several Persico loyalists ambushed and shot Campanella, but he survived and later became a government informant. Indictments and exclusion In 2000, both Alphonse Persico and DeRoss were indicted on loansharking and conspiracy charges, but only Persico was convicted. DeRoss' was again acquitted, as he continued to run organized crime activities within the Colombo family, even after Persico was convicted. On December 19, 2001, the government charged DeRoss and four co-defendants with racketeering, racketeering-conspiracy, loansharking, money laundering-conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, extortion, embezzlement and mail fraud. On February 7, 2002, DeRoss was convicted."MOB TRIAL STOOLIE DOES IN 2 MORE" New York Daily News February 7, 2002 On May 22, 2003, the State of New Jersey officially excluded DeRoss from New Jersey casinos as he was now the official Colombo underboss. At the time, DeRoss was operating in Newark, New Jersey, Brooklyn, New York and Queens, New York. On October 13, 2004, DeRoss pleaded guilty to one count of labor racketeering for arranging a "no show" job for the son of Joel Cacace. The judge sentence DeRoss to four years in prison."Wiseguy admits job scam" New York Daily News October 13, 2004 Trial with Persico In 2004, while both in prison, DeRoss and Alphonse Persico went on trial for the 1999 Cutolo murder, and the 1991 Campanella attempted murder. DeRoss' former rival John "Sonny" Franzese took over as underboss after DeRoss went on trial. In November 2006, the trial ended in a hung jury."MISTRIAL FOR REPUTED CRIME BOSS ALLIE BOY" New York Daily News November 4, 2006 The government immediately retried DeRoss and Persico, this time with both Campanella and Cutolo's widow testifying against them. On December 28, 2007, DeRoss and Persico were convicted of the Cutolo murder."Colombo boss found guilty of murder" New York Daily News December 29, 2007 Both were given life imprisonment. In October 2008, FBi agents uncovered Cutolo's body from a field in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island."Body Identified as Missing Mobster’s" New York Times October 8, 2008 As of October 2011, DeRoss is serving his life sentence at the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Terre Haute, a maximum security unit in Terre Haute, Illinois.Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator References External links *http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=1754 *http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n7-8_v26/ai_15585480/pg_4 Category:1937 births Category:American mobsters of Italian descent Category:Colombo crime family Category:American people convicted of murder Category:People convicted of murder by the United States federal government Category:People convicted of racketeering Category:Living people